During our trip to Berlin I was part of the group assigned to investigate Alexanderplatz, the square which was the center of East Berlin. Today, it's primarily a hub for mass transportation. In spite of the enormous number of people who go through Alexanderplatz on a daily basis, there is little of note in Alexanderplatz.

The group's impression of Alexanderplatz was extremely poor. We thought it was ugly and poorly used. Since designers tend to percieve things from a particular perspective, I decided to briefly interview random people in Alexanderplatz to get a feel for what the general public thinks of it. Even with a small number of interviews I encountered a wide range of responses from extremely negative to extremely positive. The main points from those interviews are below.

Lisa

Where are you from? Berlin
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "For my baby. He wants to ride swing ride."
What do you think of Alexanderplatz? "It's ugly. Too capitalist and western."
Would you want to live here? "Definitely not."

Johanna

Where are you from? North Carolina, USA
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "I stopped for lunch when changing trains."
What do you think of Alexanderplatz? "Kitschy"
Would you want to live here? "No, it looks like every other urban area."

Arlnau

Where are you from? Spain
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "It's my day off." (Erasmus)
What do you think of Alexanderplatz? "I like it. Maybe touristy, but more European than other places."
Would you want to live here? (shrugs)

Rene

Where are you from? Hanover, Germany
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "I had a meeting nearby."
What do you think of Alexanderplaatz? "It's ok. It's getting better."
Would you want to live here? "Sure, why not?"

Svein

Where are you from? Norway
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "Just looking around" (tourist)
What do you think of Alexanderplatz? "It's much better than west Berlin."
Would you want to live here? "No, I like to live more rural."

(no name given)

Where are you from? Stuttgart, Germany
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "We spend a free day here in Berlin."
What do you think of Alexanderplatz? "I really like it when that is not here." (points to fair)
Would you want to live here? "It is my goal to move here when I have money. My sister lives nearby."

Tim

Where are you from? "Here. I grew up here."
Why are you in Alexanderplatz? "We stopped for lunch."
What do you think of Alexanderplaatz? "It's home. It's the center of Berlin. There's always something to do here."
Would you want to live here? "No, it's too loud. This is where we come to meet people."